This week is dedicated to comfort food, specifically Southern comfort food. Our meal is tasty and easy because it’s a one pot event.
Chicken & Dumplings
Tossed Salad
White Wine – Riesling
Chicken & Dumplings
- 1 qt chicken stock, not broth, my favorite is Kitchen Basics*
- 2 carrots scraped and diced
- Handful frozen peas
- Pepper to taste
- 1 lb cooked chicken breasts and/or thighs skinned and boned**
- 1 tbsp. cold water
2 tsp. corn starch - Snipped parsley for garnish
Chicken
Pour the stock in a 5 quart saucepan. You need that size so the dumplings cook properly and you have leftovers to freeze. Add the carrots and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Tear the meat into bite size pieces. Add to the pan.
Combine water and cornstarch, then stir into the saucepan.
*Kitchen Basics is made by McCormick. KB stocks are made from real chicken or beef which makes your dish more savory. And most important – they are not “flavored” as are so many other brands. KB stocks also tend to be the lowest priced on the shelf.
**It’s no problem if you don’t have cooked chicken on hand. Simply place your fresh or thawed chicken pieces in the same pot you’ll use for the meal with 1 quart water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken and let cool before you tear it. Pour the cooking water into a bowl to cool. Skim off as much fat as possible then pour into containers and freeze for future use when you boil potatoes or heat vegetables.
Dumplings
- 2 cups Bisquick® or your favorite ;mix
- 2/3 cup milk
Combine Bisquick® and milk in a bowl. Mix until a soft dough forms.
Return chicken and stock to a boil. Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto the stock.
Reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover the stock and cook another 10 minutes.
To serve: Ladle into large soup bowls then sprinkle with dried parsley for color.
Leftovers freeze beautifully for up to 2 months.
Tossed Salad
Lettuce from 2 different types torn into bite size pieces, red leaf and head are excellent choices
Tomatoes chopped
Cucumber peeled and sliced
Zucchini diced
Green Onions sliced, be sure to add some of the green
Mushrooms sliced
Black Olive
Combine everything, or any grouping you like, in a bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Toss with your favorite dressing.
